Sprinkled lips, preached to cellmates: how he lived in a pre-trial detention center shiigumen Sergiy

One of the most unusual inmates of Moscow pre-trial detention centers in recent years has been and remains the infamous, excommunicated hieromonk Nikolai Romanov (Sergius). Today he received his third term – according to the verdict of the Babushkinsky court, Romanov received 3.5 years in a penal colony. But in the pre-trial detention center Sergiy Romanov was, perhaps, the most humble prisoner, although at first he announced heads. The longer he sat, the calmer he seemed to become. But there were, as they say, “breakdowns”.

What metamorphoses took place with father Sergei behind bars – in the material of the “MK” observer.

REFERENCE “MK”

The investigation and the court established that in the period from December 25, 2019 to July 18, 2020, Nikolai Romanov and his follower Vsevolod Moguchev, acting as part of an organized group, distributed on the Internet in the public domain a video recording of the latter’s speeches, which contained statements, contributing to the incitement of hatred and enmity against Jews, Jews, Muslims and Catholics. By a court verdict, Romanov was sentenced to seven years in prison, Moguchev – five years to be served in a general regime correctional colony. Previously, Romanov was convicted of murder and robbery to 13 years in prison, after serving the sentence he was released in the late 90s. Then, in 2021, he was found guilty by the court of inciting suicide, violating the right to freedom of conscience and religion, and arbitrariness. He was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison to be served in a penal colony.

Father Sergiy was arrested in January 2021, and he immediately ended up in the capital’s pre-trial detention center No. 7 Kapotnya. At that time, there were about 260 prisoners there, including 30 women (for some time, due to the pandemic, all new arrests were taken there). A priest, albeit a former one, he immediately aroused special interest among the prisoners and employees. Moreover, he spoke and looked unusual for such places. The shiigumen wove the words of a prayer in Old Slavonic into phrases, was dressed in monastic vestments – a cassock and a special headdress.

Father Sergiy’s first meeting with human rights activists (I was in a pre-trial detention center as a member of the PMC of Moscow) took place through glass in the room for short visits. Shortly before this, the accused went on a hunger strike. Romanov crossed us, blessed and thanked us: “God save you for caring for those in need.” And only after that he began to talk about prison life. In principle, everything suited him in the cell, which, according to him, looks like a cell (without everything mundane, including a TV and a refrigerator). He protested against the very detention: “What am I armed with and dangerous to society?”

During the hunger strike, Romanov not only did not eat, but also did not drink. He smeared his lips with water, as they do to people who are being prepared for an operation. In a few days, the shiigumen lost 7 kg. But he worried not for himself, but for those in the monastery. “590 souls, including children and cripples. Romanov did not believe that he would be in jail for a long time. He did not admit his guilt.

Soon, Romanov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 4 “Medved”, where he stayed almost all the time, with the exception of periods when he was taken to the “Matrosskaya Tishina” hospital for treatment. In the Medved, Romanov’s cell, located in a special block, was already completely different – with a TV and a refrigerator. Neighbors are entrepreneurs, so provisions were always in abundance. It is very difficult to starve in such a chamber. But, despite all the temptations, Romanov continued to keep strict posts.

“I pray for 7 hours. And I never stopped following this rule,” he said.

In the Medved, Father Sergiy was asked to change into civilian clothes a few months later. This was perhaps the most difficult test for him. Human rights activists tried to convince the leadership of the pre-trial detention center to return at least part of his monastic vestments to him. It was possible to “recapture” only the cassock.

Unexpectedly, we learned that Romanov began to play sports. True, he later stated that he was talking only about bows, of which more than a thousand make.

When Romanov was taken to the hospital, he was able to help several seriously ill patients – the parishioners handed over medicines for them at the request of Romanov.

Most of all, Romanov wanted to build a temple in the Medved (with donations from philanthropists) and a hostel for employees (with the help of the same wealthy parishioners, of whom, according to him, there are many).

Behind bars, the former shiigumen of the Middle Ural Monastery Romanov preached a lot – both to cellmates and to those who rode with him in the same paddy wagon. He also spoke about the most unusual experiences that he went through as a monk. One of them is about how he drove out dark spirits from the Mausoleum. At the same time, Romanov explained that the deadline had passed, which he pledged to keep silent about that memorable event. “On the Day of the Transfiguration of the Lord, August 19, I performed a prayer service. He walked around the sarcophagus 12 times, reciting special prayers. I was asked to very carefully sprinkle Lenin’s body with holy water so that no traces were left.

But to cast out demons, judging by his stories, it was not particularly successful.

It is surprising that Father Sergius until the last believed in a good outcome for himself. He believed that the cassock would be returned to him, and the anathema would be removed from him, and he would be released from prison. During our last meeting with him, he asked to know about the pardon procedure. “I asked – are you ready to die for the faith, for the homeland? Isn’t that what people are asking (and even demanding) on ​​TV these days? So what’s my fault?”

It was difficult to recognize in him the elder who strictly asked the nuns in the videos about their readiness to go to death.

“If it is the will of God, and I am released after a humane sentence, then I will try with my spiritual children to build a temple in St. Petersburg for two thousand people in honor and glory of St. Blessed Xenia of Petersburg. This will be my repentance. The Church is a spiritual hospital, there are no unforgiven sins, there are unrepentant ones,” Romanov said in his last speech at the trial on Friday.

Father Sergius accepted the verdict with humility. Immediately after the verdict, he was returned to SIZO No. 4.

“It is difficult to frighten a monk who has chosen a preaching path, renouncing worldly life, with a prison,” says his former lawyer Ivan Mironov. – Father Sergius consciously accepted this cross.